Summary

You have used the spring mass system to study the properties of metal springs. You have collected data, recorded your observations in a table, and converted them to the appropriate units. You then plotted your data so that the proportionality of the slope can be considered and then used Hooke’s to calculate the spring force constant. Based on your observations and those of your classmates, you should also be able to describe the stiffness of a spring in terms of its force constant. In the next lesson using the spring mass system, you will discover how the spring force constant can be calculated by examining the oscillations of a spring.

For further explanation of some of the terms used in this lesson, go to the Glossary.

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